William Yarde, Fayette Commission District 5 at-large, Republican Primary

WIILIAM YARDE

QUESTION: You are asking to be hired (or re-hired) by the voters of this county. Give five reasons why they should vote for you and not your opponent.

• I have been blessed with the good fortune of living in various parts of the world and various states in the USA. This allowed me to interact with people of various backgrounds, cultures, and norms. Subsequently, I was exposed to different ideas regarding problem solving, community building, preservation, and improvement.

• Fayette County has needs and I intend to employ my lifelong experiences and education to resolve those needs. Among my strong points are communication, working with others, dependability, and conflict resolution.

• I am a retired Neurosurgeon with 25 years of military service, combat tested, and a physician for over thirty years. I have worked in both the civilian and military community. In both realms, I had various leadership roles which includes being the CEO of my practice, director of a spine center, and a board member of a combat hospital in Afghanistan.

• Being retired, I will dedicate 100 percent of my time to my commissioner duties. In other words, it will not be a “part-time” occupation. I will be on call 24/7 and I will investigate every complaint promptly.

• My goal is my mission statement: “Moving Fayette county into the 21st century with pride and dignity.” Transparency will be an essential part of my decision-making process.

QUESTION: How are you different from your opponent(s) in your philosophy and your approach to this elected office?

Being conservative candidates, we have some similarities in philosophy. Our differences lies in our priorities. These are:

• The top priorities will be whatever is/are considered urgent or requires immediate attention during my tenure in office. The needs of the county will be fluid and influenced by unexpected events. Case in point, Covid-19 was unexpected and necessitated changes in our lives and existence. Projects were placed on hold and some funds diverted.

• Attract and keep millennials: 20% resident between 25-44 years of age. Solutions includes affordable housing, expansion of industrial park to create jobs. Recreation: bike path connecting towns and cities in Fayette County. Annual 200 miles bike race “Fayette 200.” Obtain a campus of a major university such as SCAD (Savannah College of Arts and Design) and/or Hillsdale College.

• Market diversity: Ethnic composed of 70.8k White Alone residents (64.1%), 23.3k Black or African American Alone residents (21.1%), 7.81k Hispanic or Latino residents (7.08%), 4.87k Asian Alone residents (4.42%), 2.74k Two or More Races residents (2.48%), 501 Some Other Race Alone residents (0.454%), 284 American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.257%), and 88 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.0798%). There is strength in diversity. All advertisements should show a racial diversity picture. For example, an opportunity to showcase this diversity is the upcoming Fayette County 200th anniversary in 2021.

• Increase assisted living communities/housing for retirees and baby boomers and veterans. Develop more affordable communities/units. 2010 census showed 12% baby boomers. Most likely higher in 2020 census.

• School system/education: Ranked #6 (NICHE) in the state. Graduation rate 89%, Reading & Math proficiency 62%. #34(of 183) for district with the best teachers. Solution includes: Increase teacher salary (current average salary ($58,000.) to attract and keep the best; decrease student/teacher ratio from 14/1 to 12/1 (National 17/1). These priorities/differences are the metrics that determines when it is time to “turn the page” in any country, state, city, or county.

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